By Keith Berger, Coordinator of Family Integrated Services During my twenty-five year career in substance abuse treatment, I’ve frequently heard family members (and clients) insist that "Alcohol isn't his/her/my problem - drugs are!" and "Alcoholism isn't his/her/my problem - addiction is!" as if the same principles of recovery from chemical dependency don't apply to any dysfunctional situation where alcohol either isn't present or isn't present enough to be identified as the primary drug-of-choice. When I hear this, I usually ask them to consider three things: 1) Alcohol is a mood-and-mind altering chemical, therefore it is a drug 2) Alcoholism is [...]

Why do people relapse after leaving treatment? Throughout my years as a substance use disorder recovery activist and interventionist, I’ve helped scores of people enter treatment. And while these folks flourished in a highly-structured setting, some struggled shortly after reentering the real world. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By understanding and applying these 3 principles, you can keep your recovery strong. Accept that Recovery Is Present Tense, Not Past Tense. If you have children, you know they are little eating machines. When mine were young, it felt like right after my wife cleared away the breakfast dishes, [...]

According to the NIMH, as of 2014, almost 8 million people in the United States had a mental illness (like depression) along with a substance abuse problem. Depression is a prevalent problem in the United States. Compounded by substance abuse issues, it's more severe of a problem. This article helps to uncover the correlation between depression and substance abuse. This includes how the two relate to one another in a dual diagnosis, statistics, what treatment options are available, and how to get help. Depression and Substance Abuse It is common for those with depression to have a substance abuse [...]

Almost 20 percent of Americans have some type of anxiety. Along with those who have anxiety, some people have co-occurring disorders. These include substance abuse. This article aims to help you understand the relationship between anxiety and substance abuse. Which happens first: anxiety or substance abuse? What are the statistics on anxiety and substance abuse? How do you get help, and what are the treatment options available? Anxiety and Substance Abuse According to an article by Smith and Book published in 2008 in the journal Psychiatric Times: Decades of research in psychiatry have shown that anxiety disorders and substance [...]

There are physical and psychological signs of Xanax addiction. First of all, Xanax is prescribed for a number of issues -- mainly anxiety. However, it also works for agitation, seizures, mania, muscle spasms, alcohol withdrawal, and insomnia. What is Xanax? Its generic form is called alprazolam, and it's the most prescribed drug for psychiatric care. It works well to give users a sense of calm and to relieve the symptoms they may have (mentioned above). The problem is that Xanax is highly addictive. It doesn't always lead to addiction, but it is quite prevalent. It can also lead to [...]

Picture this… July 26th, 2017. Humid, sunny, and hot. A girl, 5 ft. 4in., 107 lbs., wearing a hat, sweatpants, a sweatshirt, slippers, and wrapped in a blanket… shivering. She was smoking a cigarette and her mom came outside and handed her the phone and said, “You’re going to treatment in Florida. You have to do your intake over the phone.” She was confused and her mom explained that either she could go to treatment or pack her stuff and leave. She didn’t want to be homeless so she decided to go. Later that night her mom walked her to [...]